Note from NY State Senator Squadron

Our man in the NYS Senate, Daniel Squadron just released this dispatch to his constituency which includes Brooklyn Heights. Includes some very useful information:

Dear Friend:

I hope that you and your family are doing ok in the aftermath of the storm.

It’s going to be days and weeks until things are back to normal in parts of our city. In the meantime, it’s important to stay safe and make sure you’re prepared for the possibility of extended power outages, vastly reduced transit services, and overtaxed city services.

If you’re without power: The entirety of the Manhattan side of our district and some constituents in Brooklyn seem to be without power. Report power outages on ConEd’s website or by calling 1-800-752-6633. ConEd is working to restore power, but it’s expected to take up to four days. If you can safely move to a friend’s or family member’s home with power, it makes sense to do so. If you need to travel: MTA bus service will resume at 5PM today on a limited schedule, with additional restorations tomorrow. There will be no fares on the buses for the time being. It is very likely that it will be days, if not longer, until transit service is fully restored due to flooding in subway tunnels. Stay tuned to mta.info for updates. Yellow cabs are temporarily allowed to pick up multiple passengers at multiple stops, and livery cars can temporarily pick up street hails. Most bridges and tunnels are beginning to reopen. The Hugh L. Carey Battery Tunnel, the Midtown Tunnel, and Rockaway bridges remain closed. If your home sustained damage: You can apply for disaster assistance here. If you have other needs: Please reach out to 311. Phone wait times are long so online or text (311692) is your best bet. Unless it’s a real emergency, please do not call 911, which has been overloaded since yesterday. If you want to volunteer: Most evacuation shelters need volunteers today for eight hour shifts and, in some cases, clothing donations. You can find the closest shelter to you here, and reach out to find out what they need. Email nycservice@cityhall.nyc.gov with your name, email address, and borough to volunteer in the coming days. You can also visit the Red Cross’ website to volunteer. Please keep these things in mind: It is still safest to stay inside; there are downed and potentially-downed wires and trees, and emergency crews need to do their jobs. Please check in on elderly and other neighbors who might need a hand. NYC public schools will be closed again tomorrow, Wednesday. If you have water coming out of your faucet, it is safe to drink. My office has been surveying the needs of large buildings in Lower Manhattan impacted by the storm, and confirmed that Smith Houses, La Guardia Houses, Seward Park Extension, Confucius Plaza, Seward Park Co-Op, and 80 Rutgers Slip Senior Housing, among others, are currently experiencing problems with water or pumps. As always, you can follow me on Twitter and Facebook for more frequent updates. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if I can be helpful.